Reminder: Mixis Sunshine Dolls $29.99; Outfits $15.00

Great news for Mixis fans who want to complete their Sunshine Doll set OR their Inspired Clothing collection: the sale at the Mixis web site AND at Dolls Like Me* continues.

The Sunshine Dolls - Emerald, Houda, Opal, and Rosa - cost $29.99 each while the Inspired Clothing outfits costs $15 each. The sale lasts til the year's end or the supply runs out. Note: the Dolls Like Me website shows Rosa and Houda and the eight outfits; Emerald and Opal are not up on that website. So to receive those two dolls at the sale price, you will need to place your order through the Mixis web site directly.

If you order through the Mixis website, please remember when you reach the Mixis store splash page, that you need to click on the Promo Login choice and then to enter the promo code 'mixisrock' to reach the sales page. Otherwise, you will see the Mixis items at the regular price of $49.00 for the Sunshine dolls and the outfits from $17-25 each.

For me, the Mixis are the dolls I would have asked for when I was a child, were I able to imagine them at that time. The Mixis just lack the twist waist that was introduced in my childhood dolls. The Mixis dolls have attractive, ethnic faces with NOSES that have bridges, fuller lips, and normal-sized feet. Feet they can STAND on, depending on the shoes. They have a more natural, wholesome build - so they promote a more realistic weight than most Barbies and most Barbie clones. Even overlooking their decent quality clothes and their fine, fine, fine footwear and handbags and backpacks, these dolls would bring instant class and coolness to any doll and action figure collection.

For photos of the Mixis undressed and compared to other larger dolls, check this link and this link from previous posts.

So happy hunting! May you get the Mixis or Mixis plural of your choice.

*Note: I bought my first Mixis dolls from Dolls Like Me at an Expo; I had no problem. However, there have been complaints about customer service and problems receiving items from this vendor so you might want to make your purchase in person, if possible. A collector has shared her negative experience in the comments section here, and I have read about problems with employee theft at Dolls Like Me on a Yahoo Group.

Mixis Doll Sale - $19.95 ANY One

HOLIDAY SPECIAL
ALL MIXIS DOLLS $19.95
TWO WEEKS ONLY!

(Price valid from Nov 28 to Dec 13)

Go to the Mixis store and take advantage of this wonderful deal. Mixis First dolls  wear the denim bottoms and either the knee high, back zipped leather boots (Emerald and Rosa) or the black leather slip-on loafers (Opal). They also carry a leather backpack and an additional pair of footwear, black high-heeled sandals. The Mixis Limited dolls have lace-up leather sandals, an attractive sundress, and a fabric handbag.

Articulation, you will ask. The Mixis Limited dolls have articulated elbows. The Mixis First dolls have standard, straight arms. Both sets of dolls have click bend knees and can sit and move their arms up/down and turn their heads. Additional posts about the Mixis bodies are here, here, here, and here. DBG and Roxanne have written several posts about the Mixis dolls.

The Mixis store now ships to the United States as well as Canada. And if you need shipping to another country, send an email query to them first. 

Note: American customers, there are additional fees outside the sale cost. Please read the relevant information on the Mixis store shipping page.

Good luck and may you get the Mixis you want.

 

Mixis Fans Alert ... There's a New Mixis Campaign!

First Edition Mixis dolls Rosa (left) and Emerald (right) paused to pose for this summer 2014 photo. They are excited about the new Mixis crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo. 

Surely you know that YNU Group Incorporated has started a crowd funding campaign to expand the Mixis brand via an animated series about the Mixis characters along with a web comic and an interactive web site? The target audience is children from age 6-11. And you, yes, YOU can contribute to the development of this doll series. The campaign started on July 9, 2014 and will end on August 25, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. PST. The goal? $56,000 ... and there are 26 days left.

Before you haul your wallet out, you may want to check the Perks offered. Perks, you ask. Perks, I answer. Here are a few:

$10.00 donation will get a Virtual Shoutout on Facebook and Twitter

$25.00 donation will get a Mixis T-shirt

$50.00 donation will get your choice of one of the First Edition Mixis dolls AND 6 E-patterns for Mixis fashions

There are more Perks - do check the website to see them all. The best Perk for me would be for additional dolls to reach the market. I suppose that would follow a successful response to the animated series and online sites. Crowd funding campaigns can get different doll brands out. The success of the Lammily doll proves that crowd funding can get a new brand attention and financial support previously not easily obtainable.

Any thoughts about the Mixis campaign or about crowd funding in general? Do you think that you will support the Mixis campaign?

Mixis Sale - Run to the Store at Mixis.com!

It's been a while since I've seen any Mixis news, but I stopped by the Mixis website and lo! The page was updated. There are additional blog posts and sigh-worthy recipes - plus a MIXIS Online Book Club. Interesting readings submitted by our four favorite Mixis characters. And even better than that, the Holiday Sale!

The Mixis First Edition Dolls (Emerald, Houda, Opal, and Rose) are on sale for $29.99 each doll; regular price is $59.99 each doll.

The Mixis Sunshine Dolls (Emerald, Rosa, Opal and Houda) are on sale for $24.99 each doll; regular price is $49.99 each doll.

Mixis Culturally Inspired Clothing paks vary from $8.50 to $12.50.

Note: YNU Group International, the manufacturers of the Mixis dolls, is located in Canada. I include this information because the shipping will be from Canada.

Time to stock up for holiday and post-holiday gifts, hmmm?

Hispanic Heritage Month Doll Focus: YNU Group Mixis Rosa

Hispanic Heritage Month Doll Focus: YNU Group, Incorporated Mixis Rosa Dominguez Katz

Here is the First Edition Rosa Dominguez Katz. Since some of Rosa's family come from Mexico, she is participating in the Hispanic Heritage Month posting. I first saw Opal and Rosa on September 13, 2008 at the Black Latino Expo in the Convention Center. The owner from the now defunct company Dolls Like Me allowed me to choose the two dolls I wanted. (Emerald was on back order so they didn't have any Emeralds to show.)  The dolls were a little under a foot tall, but they had a heavier, more substantial body than Barbie and most Barbie clones. They had detailed, classy accessories and unique faces suggesting their multi-racial background.

Rosa wears her original shrug and tank top. The skirt is borrowed from First Edition Emerald Okada.

Here is the back view of Rosa. You can see her wavy dark hair.

Below is another Rosa doll: this one is the Limited Edition doll with the articulated elbows. Her face is a little fuller than the First Edition Rosa. That Rosa has an early production number. This Rosa has a higher production number - do you think that the molds wore down as the years passed, making the face fuller? I think that this Rosa looks older than the other one.

Back view of the Limited Edition Rosa doll shows her arm bend, wavy hair, and dress details.

Limited Edition Rosa on the left; First Edition Rosa on the right. Do you think one is prettier? I do. But I would rather not say which.

Want to read more about the Mixis experience by D7ana. Check these links:

http://phillycollector.blogspot.com/2011/04/which-mixis-body-is-it-le-or-se.html 

http://phillycollector.blogspot.com/2009/10/mixis-chinese-outfit.html

http://phillycollector.blogspot.com/2009/10/body-comparison-of-larger-playscale.html

http://phillycollector.blogspot.com/2009/02/get-set-club-and-mixis-body-comparison.html

http://phillycollector.blogspot.com/2008/12/dolls-received-friday-december-19-2008.html 

http://phillycollector.blogspot.com/2008/11/emerald-and-houda-arrive-new-mixis.html  

http://phillycollector.blogspot.com/2008/09/mixis-dolls-rosa-and-opal-here.html

Curious about Hispanic and Jewish connections in the United States? The Atlantic addressed this topic. 

Wikipedia and Mixis Article

Fools dive in where angels fear to tread.

I've heard something like that, but being a fan, I tend to look for a likely soft landing spot and dive. So after editing one Wikipedia article, "Fashion doll" to add the Mixis dolls to that list, I placed an entry of my own on the Mixis dolls. There were no other Wikipedia entries for them. I mean, yes, there are photos of the Mixis and a few articles about them online, but I felt they needed some extra ... presence? referencing? online. How else will those other Mixis dolls be produced?

First step then was to create a Wikipedia user name. Then I should have edited a few articles BEFORE creating one. So I edited the entry on Fashion Dolls first. Easy to copy the formatting and paste the repeated text in the list and then to adjust the text to read "Mixis, etc."

My next step was to review the article copy I created to make it as neutral yet informative as I could. Think I succeeded there. Also, I had to make sure that I did not plagiarize text from the website. I think I did well there ... someone will let me know, if I didn't.

I need to fix the reference tags; I'll check on that tomorrow. Or maybe some kind, generous Wikipedia expert will correct the error. (Yeah right ... there are scads of playscale collectors just waiting for the opportunity to fix incorrect entries on Wikipedia. Sigh.)

Here's the link to the

Mixis article

Thanks for any advice, suggestions, etc.

Mixis Girls and Jakks Pacific Pants - Match at Last

Rosa, Opal, Emerald, and Houda have limited clothing options. Yes, they can fit the Get Set dolls' pants. So that would be a pair of black nylon pull-on pants. If, you have Get Set doll pants, which most collectors probably won't have because the Get Set dolls did not have a long production run.

Yes, the Mixis can wear Ken pants, but the lines are wrong for them. The Ken pants have straight lines; the Mixis have curvy bodies. Possibly the gold harem pants of the Arabian Nights Ken could work. Regular Ken pants though look as though the girls are borrowing their boyfriends' pants.

The Mixis can - just - fit the Get Real Girls' tops and some of the GRG jackets. But the GRG pants are too narrow.

Welcome to the Jakks Pacific doll closet, specifically for their Girl F.O.R.C.E. line. Bingo! The pants fit the Mixis. While Jakks Pacific did not produce a clothing line for that doll line, there were at least 13 Girl F.O.R.C.E. dolls produced. Three dolls for Josie and the Pussycats (Kmart), six dolls for the Charlie's Angels series, and various Girl F.O.R.C.E. dolls, Creanna, Bianca, Lola, and Jaz.

Note 1: the black pants for Valerie of Josie and the Pussycats stain the doll's body.

Note 2: Jakks Pacific produced two other fashion dolls, Catalina and Damita, around 2005. These dolls' figures are closer to swimsuit Barbies' figures. The three pants shown on the box for this series would probably NOT fit the Mixis dolls.

For photos and comments comparing the Mixis with other playscale dolls see this entry.



Opal in My Scene guy top and Jakks Pacific pants; Emerald in Get Real Girl top and Ken shorts




Second view of Opal in My Scene guy top and Jakks Pacific pants

Mixis News and Link to a Photo

I've been searching for photos of the 2009 Mixis dolls, but I haven't found any yet. I submitted a query about any online photos to YNU Group in case there are any official ones out that I haven't found. The Canadian Toy Association held their Toy Fair on January 24-26, 2009; the Mixis were at Booth 819. So maybe, maybe there are photos out now. If not now, I'll wait until after the U.S. Toy Fair later this month.

HOWEVER, I did find a photo of the new Mixis Wardrobe at the Canadian Toy Association's web page:

CTA Mixis Wardrobe

I can't tell whether the wardrobe is made from wood or particle board or plastic. Those details will follow. But to have found the photo pleases me. Photos of the dolls will come later. It would be great if ASM (formerly Altered States Magazine) at www.asmzine.com and www.alteredstatesmag.com would review the Mixis dolls. Well, I can dream hmmmmm?

Three Versions of Mixis Opal

Thus far, there are two versions of three of the Mixis dolls: Emerald, Opal, and Rosa. The Sunset Edition Dolls wear sundresses and lace-up espadrilles and are priced around $49.95; the Limited Edition Dolls wear a cotton tank top, jeans or jeans skirt, and cropped bodice sweater and are priced around $59.95. Actually, on the Mixis web page -- http://store.mixis.com/catalog/1/mixis_dolls -- there are THREE Opals: one Limited Edition Doll and TWO Sunset Edition Dolls, one with curly hair, the other with straight hair.

Aside: a photo that could be Houda in a denim jacket and denim mini skirt can be seen on this web page:

http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/productsbymfr.asp?id=1890

However, I haven't seen a Houda in the Limited Edition jeans outfit for sale. On that same web page, there is mention of other Mixis dolls: Amber, Amethyst, Coral, Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, Topaz and Turquoise. Eight new dolls. Possibly, one of those doll can be seen with Rosa in the Mixis logo shown on this web page:

http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/ToyShow/toyshow.asp?id=324

Wow doesn't suffice.

Mixis Connections: FaceBook, Twitter, and Blog

2010 and what is happening with the Mixis dolls and YNU Group, Inc.? One goal for YNU Group, Inc. is to promote the Mixis brand. Do you want to connect to the Mixis social sites to help the company reach their goal? Debbie Goodland, President and Founder of the YNU Group, Inc., sent these Mixis-related links:

Blog

Twitter

Facebook


Perhaps you have bought all the Mixis dolls that you wanted. No new dolls at the official web site ... no Toy Fair News. Lots of other dolls beckon. Ah, but what about the future? Click the link and ooohhh and ahhhhh. Surely spending a little time online with the social media is worth seeing those dolls in the vinyl.

Collectors Three, Mixis Three, and PrettieGirls One

Last weekend, Ms. Leo invited local doll enthusiasts to a doll play meet. She brought coffee and Dunkin' Donuts doughnuts. A date and location were set. Cyndy Bee and I were able to attend. I cannot speak for the others, but I had fun. How often do you feel free to discuss dolls and finding things for them? We discussed other collector-enthusiasts whose work we admired and learned of "new" photographers and artisans. Shared blog addresses and Flickr accounts.

We unpacked the Show and Tell items we had each brought. Cyndy brought a charming hostess gift for Ms. Leo - which I will leave for Ms. Leo to describe - and a well-constructed wooden doll trunk created by her husband. Cyndy explained how he put together two shadow boxes and how she decorated the interior of the box.

Ms. Leo brought some of her new dolls: Max, Marie, and Lena of the Prettie Girls. (So Cyndy and I got to see a Prettie Girl doll in the vinyl. Very helpful. Now I want at least THREE of those dolls ... sometime next year, but THREE. Pleased to have decided that.) Ms. Leo also brought a doll clothes pattern book, some accessories, and two neat rug coverings that I claimed along with a pair of men's sneakers when we made trades. My printer is out of ink so the rugs were a welcome accessory since I would not have been able to print them online anytime soon.

I brought a NRFB YNU Group Inc. Limited Edition Emerald, a LE Rosa, and a First Edition Opal as well as accessories and my extra Mixis doll fashion. Ms. Leo had wanted to see the Mixis dolls and the series was new to Cyndy. I got to see Lena of the Prettie Girls. Yes, the Prettie Girls and the Mixis dolls can wear each other’s clothes with only two off elements:



The Mixis dolls are a little wider in the torso so more fitted Prettie Girls fashions may not fit them properly. Lena's blouse barely fit Opal. The Prettie Girls' torso is closer to Barbie's with an inward curve at the lower back similar to the new JLo doll and/or the early Shani dolls. The distinction between the waist and the hips on the Mixis dolls is not as exaggerated.







The Prettie Girls have slightly longer legs so Opal’s jeans might seem high-water on Lena. However, Lena’s pants (which I thought were high-water) fit Opal's leg length.



See how the Prettie Girls body dips at the lower back.




As I mentioned, I had fun. Thanks, Ms. Leo for making the arrangements for this meet and for bringing me out of my home doll cave ;-) Thanks Cyndy for coming along and contributing to a jolly time. See you both next year.

Mixis Update and Redressed Photos

I visited the Mixis store today. The web site has been updated to include a FAQ page. More dolls will be coming in 2009 and -- I am over-the-top-gleeful at this news -- there will be dioramas, furniture, and BOYS. Multi-ethnic boys. I have to send this information to Jef and my Yahoo Groups. I have to send this everywhere! Multi-ethnic BOYS um MEN. Whhooo hooo!!!

Usually, I get my ethnic guys from the action figure lines: Dragon, Hot Toys, MC Toys. I feel lucky to get them. They usually wear military gear, but sometimes you can find them in casual wear or in suits. Sigh. Action figure collectors often lament Ken fashions - oh, heck, so do I sometimes. I mean pink and lavender ... bleh! I wouldn't wear lavender.

But multi-ethnic guys outside of the Bratz line (the no-noses and big heads) ... wow! I can't wait. Upon reflection, I can -- need time to hoard funds for those guys. And anticipation can be delicious.

Four [ethnic] inspired outfits are shown: Chinese, Japanese, Central American, and a new one - Denim Pink Vest. The Chinese and the Central American outfits are must gets for me: I like the reds and the styles. Emerald models the wine red Chinese outfit (tunic and knickers) while Rosa models the Central American outfit (white peasant blouse and true red circle skirt). The Japanese outfit doesn't particularly work for me, possibly because I don't care for pastel florals. (Shrug.) It is a modified kimono dress with modified gei sandals. However, the Denim Pink Vest has these absolutely adorable pink suede fur-topped boots. Nothing I would wear, but the sort of thing you would buy for your teenage daughter or niece or admire on an exuberant person. Kicky-cute. The light blue denim jacket and mini skirt - modeled by Houda - are also cute, attractive casual wear.

Since I couldn't get my hands on new outfits or new dolls, I had fun with my current Mixis crew. It's a cold day in Philly so I found outerwear for my first three and a new outfit altogether for Houda. (Hey, she'd freeze in this weather wearing her cotton sundress!) Rosa borrowed a red Get Real Girl jacket, Emerald borrowed Aaron Carter's denim jacket, and Opal borrowed a Toys R Us Exclusive Barbie coat from 2001. Houda borrowed a red Get Real Girl tee shirt, a Get Real Girl denim jacket, and Get Set Isabella's black knit pants. (Those black knit pants fit the Bbi Perfect Body figures as well.)

Note: the Mixis dolls don't fit the Barbie pants. The Get Real Girls' pants don't quite fit either. The Mixis dolls have wider hips. If I were to make a pants pattern for them, I would use the Get Set pants or Opal's pants.





The Mixis store web address is http://s50514.gridserver.com/store/ .

Thanks, Debbie Goodland and the YNU Group Team!

Which Mixis Body is It? LE or SE?

Let’s say you are bopping along, running errands, and listening to a snappy tune - like Gwen Stefani’s “Ain’t No Harley (Holler?) Back Girl.” (Feel free to substitute the bouncy song of your choice.) You are a modern doll/action figure enthusiast. You are lucky to have fellow DAF enthusiast friends, too! Skip, bounce, skip, bounce. Then your phone rings. The partner of one of your favorite doll enthusiast friends is on the line. Code Red, this person cries. This is an emergency only YOU can resolve. You. Your chest swells with pride until you hear what happened.

Well, Friend 1 – who incidentally does NOT collect dolls or action figures – Friend 1 felt neglected by Friend 2 so Friend 1 got drunk and went on a rampage among Friend 2’s dolls. Friend 1 dismembered several dolls. Now Friend 1 needs your help re-connecting the bodies BEFORE Friend 2 returns from an overnight trip. Horrified though you are, you decide to help Friend 1. Despite that person’s questionable sanity and your natural revulsion, you think of all those dismembered dollies. Oh the shame of it. So you rush to the crime scene.

Most of the dolls can easily be repaired. Whew. But Friend 2 has two Mixis dolls that Friend 1 dismembered during the rampage. (Aiiieeee!) One was a Limited Edition Rosa; the other was a Sunset Edition Rosa. You distinguish the head of the Limited Edition Rosa due to some customizing Friend 2 had completed. The legs for the dolls seem similar enough so they don’t cause a problem. But matching the bodies … oh dear. Which is which? Your friend should not see the head of her LE Rosa on the SE Rosa body.

Well, there is help for you. Check the back of the bodies. If the company markings are on the upper back and those markings read, “© 2007 YNU Group Inc.” on the top line and “China” on the second line, that is the Sunset Edition Mixis body. If the markings are on the lower back, and read “© 2006 YNU Group Inc.” on the top line and “China” on the second line, that is the Limited Edition Mixis body. The photos below will illustrate the placements I have describe.

Also, if the breasts on the body seem to flow with the rest of the body, that is the Sunset Edition Mixis body. The breasts on the first Mixis body, the Limited Edition body, seem a little off, as if they were scooped on after the main body was created. (My guess and opinion that the LE body was first - hint, the date - and possibly no one else would agree with me about the breasts setting.)

There you go. Friend 1 will think you could hang the moon. Friend 2 may never know how those dolls were nearly destroyed. You have helped your friends and possibly, averted the end of a relationship. You can return to your errands. Or can you? Knowing what you know about Friend 1's actions?

P.S. This terrible event has never happened to me. Any resemblance to real doll attacks is coincidental. However, it is possible so please accept this anecdote as just that, an anecdote.

New Mixis - Facebook Alert

Three new Mixis dolls are shown on the Mixis Living Facebook page. Two of the dolls resemble two of the mystery dolls shown in an earlier post. [Note: you will need to scroll to nearly the bottom of the "Future" link to see the Mixis dolls; they follow the too-pretty-to-eat-but-I'll-try food photos.] The other doll resembles a doll in an early Mixis doll photo: I am ecstatic to think that she will be PRODUCED for the doll-buying market.

The Ten Black Dolls and Action Figures I Would Choose: A Black History Themed Post

I wrote a post earlier this month asking which 10 black fashion dolls or action figures would you choose if you were allowed any ten. Here is my list ...

American Teen Benjamin

Integrity Toys Dynamite Girl 'Back to Brooklyn' Remi

Integrity Toys Dynamite Girl 'Boogie Beach' Reese

Integrity Toys Fashion Royalty 'Quiet Storm' Annik

Mattel Halle Berry

Mattel So In Style Little Brother Julian

Vivid Imaginations JLS Ortise

YNU Group, Inc. Mixis Bryanna Singh

YNU Group, Inc. Mixis Kirsten Leduc

YNU Group, Inc. Mixis Melissa Francesca Bilotta

The last three dolls are not-yet produced Mixis fashion dolls. If you are on Facebook, look up Mixis Jr. to see what those lovely dolls look like. If you have not sent in your choices, please share them now. Or if you've submitted your choices, do you feel the same or would you like to make any changes? Thanks!

 

Mixis Site Update

For the Mixis fans out there, the Mixis website has been updated. The sale page has a new web address. Do stop by to see the cleaner lines of the updated website.


For Mixis fans on Facebook, there is a sale until March 31, 2013. Buy any Limited Edition Mixis doll and receive a free outfit - your choice which outfit. Please note: the Sunset Editions are now called the "Limited Edition" while the former "Limited Edition dolls" are now called "First Edition."


Happy viewing and shopping!

Mixis Clothes Patterns Coming in December

Mixis patterns will be ready to be downloaded from the Mixis web site this December. The cost will be around $5-10. I received this information from Debbie Goodland, the President and Founder of YNU Group, Incorporated. Please check the Mixis store at the Mixis homepage next month. Any updates I receive, I will post here. This information is all I have now.

YNU Group may also produce similar patterns for other fashion dolls as well. A best outfit contest will run at that time – further details to be announced.

Emerald and Houda Arrive -- New Mixis Photos

Emerald and Houda of the Mixis have joined the East Philly Doll and Action Figure Zone!

Here are photos of the new ladies and their fellow Mixis, Opal and Rosa:

First, Emerald and Houda in their boxes.



Next, the back of the world-map themed box liner:



The Mixis are packaged similar to the Fashion Royalty dolls in that they are tied to their boxes by ribbons and the clothes are loosely "sewn" down. There are NO doll heads attached to the boxes by plastic tags. The plastic harpooning of doll heads annoys me. Won't go into that nightmare here.

Finally, a group shot of all the Mixis that I have to date.



I love their individual looks. And noses! They have noses with bridges!

Mixis Reviews on Amazon.com

Yesterday, I added reviews for Mixis Emerald and Mixis Houda to their entries on Amazon.com.

The more I look at these dolls, the more I like them. I'm thinking of deboxing the Get Real Girl outfits I have so that they can wear more suitable -- late fall -- outfits. I might also borrow from the I-Girls dolls. The Mixis outfits are online, but I won't be able to get them for some time.

Maybe I'll add extra photos to the Amazon.com entries for the Mixis dolls that I have ....

SALE -- All Four Sunshine Mixis Dolls for $80.00

Want to receive all 4 Sunshine Mixis fashion dolls [Houda, Emerald, Rosa and Opal (curly or straight hair)] for $80.00 USD? Send off an e-mail message to Mixis mail. This offer ends July 31, 2012. Shipping from Canada not included in that price.

This special sale was announced on the Mixis Junior Facebook page, but it is open to everyone. If you do not have any Mixis dolls or if you want to buy some for friends and family, now would be a good time to get them. You can check my earlier posts for additional photos and comments about this Canadian doll series.